The City of Dover unveiled a new resource that provides one-stop access to the City's significant open government tools and information. The new web page, “Transparent Dover,” was launched to coincide with Sunshine Week.
Each year, Sunshine Week promotes the importance of open government and freedom of information. A variety of agencies and organizations participate, including local government, news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in the public's right to know. This year, Sunshine Week spanned March 11-16, coinciding with James Madison's birthday on March 16.
The City of Dover is an advocate for the public's right to know, and values transparency in all aspects of local government.
City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr., said the City strives to make information readily available to the public on a daily basis. The City's website, www.dover.nh.gov, updated daily, is a repository for thousands of documents, records and public information, including financial information, City reports, budget details, and meeting records. Few communities in the State of New Hampshire or across the nation make as much information available to the public as a matter of course.
"The City of Dover is committed to open government and transparency," Joyal said. "We will continue to promote openness and public participation in local government, recognizing that transparency is the foundation of public trust."
The new web page allows residents and the public to navigate to many of the most requested and essential City documents and records, as well as information about all aspects of local government. The page, which collects links to public resources into one easy-to-navigate location, is a way for the public to quickly find links to the significant information already available on the City's website. Transparent Dover will be updated regularly to reflect additional resources.
Transparent Dover also allows the public to compare the City's commitment to open government against the "Transparency Checklist" created by the nonprofit organization Sunshine Review. The City of Dover meets or exceeds all of the items on that checklist.
According to the Sunshine Review, "residents and taxpayers need to be able to gauge whether local government is effective, competent, frugal with tax revenue, and in compliance with laws relating to public records and open meetings." The Sunshine Review benchmark is the availability of key information online.
For more information, contact City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr., at 603-516-6023.
